Xiao Yan had once stumbled upon a reference in an ancient herbal manuscript left by Yao Lao, describing Dihuang Jing as a substance born from the concentrated, steady, and solid essence of the pure earth. However, this description had its limitations—once a Dihuang Jing reached a century in age, its growth would cease due to energy saturation, and thus, Dihuang Jings over a century old became exceptionally rare. According to the manuscript, if a Dihuang Jing surpassed a century in age, the nourishment sustaining it could no longer be solely the earth's essence, but rather other celestial and terrestrial spiritual elements. Upon first seeing this thousand-year-old Dihuang Jing, Xiao Yan immediately realized that beneath this Dihuang Jing, there must be something else—something that had nurtured and sustained it to its current state. "Hehe, truly, no wonder it's the Dan Realm..." Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile, curving his palm sharply and then firmly pressing down on the deep trench. A sudden surge of suction erupted, sending large amounts of soil flying, which he casually tossed aside. Under this intense suction, the trench kept deepening. Yet, despite his expectations, no other spiritual treasures appeared as he had anticipated. "Could it be that the ancient scrolls are mistaken?" Seeing that he had dug nearly five or six zhang deep without finding anything, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, his earlier confidence fading. After all, he had never encountered a thousand-year-old Earth Yellow Spirit before. With growing hesitation, his digging became more deliberate. After another several zhang of excavation, he finally shook his head in resignation. Yet, just as he was about to give up, his eyes suddenly caught the soil he had recently extracted from the ground beside him, and a surprised exclamation escaped him. Bending down, Xiao Yan grasped a handful of soil in his hands. To his touch, it was damp, and as the moisture spread, an unusual energy seemed to radiate through it. Noticing the peculiar nature of the soil, a gleam of satisfaction passed through Xiao Yan's eyes—this ground indeed seemed to have some issues. With this discovery, he immediately rose again, curling his hands into claws and swiftly plunging them into the deep pit. As his palms moved, the massive excavation gradually deepened. Xiao Yan landed in the deep crater, crouched down, and with a sweep of his sleeve, a gust of wind blew the soil aside, revealing a snow-white jade. His gaze settled on the jade, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "This... is the Earth-Core Jade Mother?" The Earth-Core Jade Mother, a miraculous jade formed over countless ages through the convergence of the earth's essence, is exceptionally rare and highly prized among cultivators. Due to the earth's unique steadiness and weight, this jade serves as an invaluable asset—when used as a cushion during cultivation or alchemy, it exerts a remarkable calming effect on the body's turbulent energy, significantly reducing the risk of a cultivator experiencing a 'fire entering the heart' crisis. This effect was indeed similar to the Qinglian Seated Platform that Xiao Yan had received when he first obtained the Qinglian Earth-Core Flame—though if one really compared them, the Earth-Core Jade Mother was clearly superior. "Indeed, a true treasure," Xiao Yan chuckled, placing his palm on the section of Earth-Core Jade Mother protruding from the ground. Then, bending his legs slightly, he roared loudly and sharply pulled his hand back. Instantly, soil sprayed forth, and the Earth-Core Jade Mother was drawn right out of the earth by Xiao Yan's force. Only after completely extracting the Earth-Core Jade Mother did Xiao Yan realize its size—about half a zhang in height and roughly one arm's width in breadth. Such a substantial piece of Earth-Core Jade Mother was exceptionally rare outside of the earth's core. "With this, when I eventually begin my cultivation, I'm certain it will yield remarkable results—far more efficient than expected..." Gazing at the size of the Earth's Core Mother, Xiao Yan couldn't help but nod in agreement. As he withdrew his hand, however, he found it covered in a thin, viscous jade liquid. "Hm..." Staring at the viscous liquid, Xiao Yan paused, then suddenly snapped back to focus. Even with his strong concentration, his pupils narrowed, and his gaze immediately shifted to the Earth's Core Mother, murmuring, "Has the Earth's Core Mother already nurtured the Earth's Core Soul Essence within it?" The Earth's Core Mother was exceptionally difficult to form, and the Earth's Core Soul Essence was even rarer. At that very moment, a surge of intense warmth welled up in Xiao Yan's eyes, uncontainable. The jade liquid on his palm rapidly coalesced into a thin blade of emerald flame, which then swiftly sliced across the surface of the Earth's Core Mother with a sharp motion. *Pls-shhh!* The fiery blade lightly sliced horizontally across the surface of the Earth-Core Jade Mother, detaching a jade slab roughly thumb-thick, revealing a walnut-sized hole within. From this hole, faint streams of pale mist seeped out. Xiao Yan inhaled deeply, and instantly felt a silent, soothing sigh resonate deep within his soul. Xiao Yan stared in astonishment at the thick, white liquid, his joy surging to its peak at that very moment. Earth-Core Soul-Plasma—a rare celestial treasure—was especially alluring to alchemists, as it possessed the remarkable ability to strengthen and refine the soul. This "soul refinement" meant that it could purify and cleanse the soul's accumulated impurities. Xiao Yan had long heard of the Earth-Core Soul-Plasma, but had never truly encountered it until now. In the realm of alchemy, this was a great fortune indeed. For Xiao Yan today, this treasure was truly invaluable. With it, his chances of breaking through into the Spiritual Realm would rise by nearly fifty percent. The intense warmth lingered for a while before gradually fading. Xiao Yan used a fire blade to carefully excavate the jade crater, then on-site utilized some earth-core jade mother crystals to craft a jade box, into which he gently placed the earth-core soul essence. Only after completing these steps did Xiao Yan finally exhale in relief. The earth-core soul essence could not be consumed directly—it required harmonization with other rare celestial treasures to fully unleash its potential. Fortunately, while those treasures were uncommon, they were still attainable with sufficient effort. Moreover, this realm of pills was truly a treasure trove; perhaps with a bit of luck, he could gather all the necessary herbs within the realm of pills. Should time allow, perhaps when he finally stepped out of this realm again, he would truly attain the rank of eighth-tier master. Gently patting his jade storage ring, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile, his eyes glancing at the remaining half-inch of the Earth-Core Jade Mother before him. With a wave of his hand, he also stored it within the ring. Though the Earth-Core Soul Essence pearls had come before, the Earth-Core Jade Mother was no less valuable, and Xiao Yan naturally didn't mind. After securing all the items, Xiao Yan lightly tapped his foot on the pit's base, launching himself with a swift leap, and landed steadily at the edge of the cave entrance. With a simple gesture, soil surged around him, eventually completely concealing the deep excavation. Only then did Xiao Yan clap his hands and turn to leave. "Heh, young friend, any celestial or terrestrial treasure encountered is meant for all who witness it—yet you've taken everything. That's rather out of the ordinary..." As Xiao Yan was just about to turn, a sudden laugh echoed. He slightly tilted his head, gazing at the yellow-robed elder who stepped forward steadily through the rippling space. "You've hidden long enough, haven't you? I thought you'd stay concealed for good." The appearance of the yellow-robed elder did not surprise Xiao Yan at all; rather, he raised a brow, smiling slightly, as if amused. He had sensed the elder's presence even from the moment he stepped out of the cave. "Hah! Old man, you haven't quite reached the level where you can quietly hold onto treasures like the Heart-Soul Essence of the Earth Core—yet, have you?" The yellow-robed elder chuckled, his tone warm yet laced with a subtle coldness. "My name is Huang Yi. I'm sure you've heard of me, though if not, that's perfectly fine. I know you're a powerful Dou-Zong-level cultivator, so I don't intend to forcefully seize the Heart-Soul Essence. If I take half of it, you may depart." Though he could sense Xiao Yan's aura—only a four-star Dou-Zong—this level of strength didn't yet warrant any particular concern from the esteemed seven-star Dou-Zong. He would have moved immediately to claim the treasure himself, had it not been for the fear of drawing attention from other powerful cultivators. Hearing the elder in yellow robes' words, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle, then shook his head, saying, "I've never heard of this name before. But if you want to share treasures with me—how exactly do you figure you're relevant?" By the time he finished speaking, Xiao Yan's face had turned icy, with cold glimmers flashing in his dark eyes. With a wave of his hand, the radiant earth spirit automaton materialized, and without hesitation, surged forward like a bolt of lightning, directly charging toward the elder in yellow robes. At the very moment the earth spirit automaton appeared, the elder named Huang Yi, whose previously serene expression, suddenly turned pale.